The Cain Conversion

The farfetched idea that multiple personality disorder benefits a spy in deep cover becomes as credible and entertaining as James Bond's armory of exotic weapons in this sizzling thriller from the skillful author of Redeye and Crux . Mischa Amenov formed multiple personalities to escape the sadistic abuse of his father, psychotic KGB killer Valery. When the Krushchev-ordered Sorin Project needed a spy with an unimpeachably American background as a mole in the Secret Service, Mischa was indoctrinated with the memories of Bill Sullivan, a Kansas native ``disappeared'' by the KGB. Amenov's own psyche was obliterated, and a trigger phrase was hypnotically implanted to release on command an assassin personality named Cain. ``Sullivan'' attends a U.S. college, marries and joins the Secret Service as planned, but the end of the Cold War makes the Sorin Project obsolete. Valery, dumped by the KGB and betrayed by his wife, heads for the States to trigger ``Cain'' before the Soviets can kill ``Sullivan'' and cover up the project's existence. This slick, harrowing tale--one might say that Aellen has sent Condon's Manchurian Candidate to DeMille's Charm School --climaxes with a brilliant showdown between father and son. ( Apr. )